Mac baseball going to 'blow you out 4-1' in 2013

Ben Schorzman/News-RegisterMcMinnville pitcher Gage Gubrud pitching last May vs. Tualatin. The Grizzlies return almost their entire team and look to be much improved in 2013.

McMinnville baseball coach Darren Bland is coining a new phrase that is sure to catch on once fans watch the 2013 version of the Grizzlies. McMinnville was 7-20 last season and scored the fewest runs in the Pacific Conference. The Grizzlies also didn’t allow many runs, and after playing a boatload of games last summer, they should have the experience to turn a lot of those close losses last year into wins.

“We’re going to blow you out 4-1,” Bland said.

McMinnville played 47 games over the summer and finished third at the state tournament, and that Oregon Mainline Paving-sponsored team was deep in pitching. Varsity starters like Gage Gubrud, Nick Springer, David Brosius, Calvin Lane, Christian Radke and Blake Egli all threw more than 30 innings. Gubrud, Springer and Brosius all had ERAs under 3.00 with more than 42 innings pitched each.

Gubrud, who was an all-conference selection last year as a sophomore, threw 63 innings, was 8-1 and had an ERA of 0.44. For Bland, he knows pitching this year is what will keep his team in games. He’s just worried about producing enough runs to take advantage.

“I really feel like when we’re playing defense and pitching, we are a top ten team in the state,” Bland said. “Now, going on to the offense, are we hopefully better than a bottom ten team? I hope so.”

The Grizzlies kick off spring at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Wilsonville for a jamboree. Then they play Tuesday at Central Catholic. Mac plays at home for the first time at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday vs. Liberty, but until April most of its games are on the road vs. quality teams. Mac again travels to Roseburg (March 15) to play the Indians, who made it to the 6A state semifinals last year.

“It is important to get used to getting on the bus for a traveling for big games,” Bland said.